National News

Captain Charged; Teacher's Suicide Note Is Wrenching

(NEWSER) – The captain of the capsized South Korean ferry is in custody and charged with five offenses that could land him in prison for the rest of his life, reports CNN. The charges against 69-year-old Lee Joon-seok boil down to negligence, both leading up to the accident and after it. "Mr. Lee is charged with causing the Sewol ship to sink by failing to slow down while sailing the narrow route and making the turn excessively," said a prosecutor. "Lee is also charged with failing to do the right thing to guide the passengers to escape and thereby leading to their death or injury." (He didn't mention another prosecutor's earlier claim that Lee wasn't even at the helm when the accident occurred.)